The Temple Nymph
by Hankai-Ayame
Summary: about a nymph and her friend. and the temple of artimis at ephesus...if u think thats bad, its just the summary, the storys better.


Disclaimer: I own nothing but Faethya and Iris ( even though Iris is already a Greek mythology character, she is different)  
  
  
  
  
  
The Temple Nymph  
  
It has been about a day since the fire started, and the temple now lay in ruins… My friend Iris, a wood Nymph like me, went into the burning temple to retrieve the silver bow and arrows of the goddess, Artemis, and had since, never returned. Now, not caring for my safety, or that the temple may collapse, I run into the building to search for my life long friend, in hopes that Atropos (one of the three fates, the one who cuts the thread of life) hasn't ended her life.  
  
"Iris? Iris! Are you there?"  
  
All of a sudden, I was shaking, and I awoke from my slumber. I awoke to Iris smiling down at me.  
  
"Don't worry, that was-"  
  
" –Just a dream…" I cut in and finished with a daze.  
  
" grr… I really wish you would stop that Faethya…"  
  
She growled.  
  
" Well, I can't help neither that, or my powers, but would appreciate it if you would call me Fae, or Faeth." I answered.  
  
" Fine then, Artemis requests a word with you anyways…" She said with a pout.  
  
We then got up and I started to tell iris about the nightmare I had. At first, she thought my dream was about Apollo pursuing me, but I told her it was worse than that. I told her about the fire, her going inside without returning… I knew that she didn't have much of a phobia for fire, as most nymphs do, but it scared her quiet a bit. But still, even though she was scared, we both knew that there was no near by temple that could be burned…  
  
After a bit of time walking through the forest, and occasionally waving to our many sisters, we came across Artemis. She was clad in a long toga of silver, with her quiver on her back, and bow in hand. Her eyes were as blue as the Ocean, with her long blond hair flowing behind her.  
  
Beside her was her sister, the goddess Athena, patron goddess of Athens and goddess wisdom and war. Artemis finally took notice of me and asked Iris to leave, which she silently did so. The goddesses turned to me.  
  
"As my dear sister Athena informed me, the people of Ephesus are building a temple in my honour. The people are more likely to pray to me, so I ask you to go as a representative of me, and to be in charge of the temple." Artemis said.  
  
She then looked at me.  
  
"Do you accept?"  
  
"I would more than happy to" I said.  
  
Then a smile lit upon her face  
  
"Thank you," she said. "For I would not have trusted any other nymph for this job. But if you truly think there is danger, inform me immediately."  
  
"Yes, Artemis"  
  
~*~  
  
It had been about two years since Artemis and I have spoken, but the two years have gone like only two months. Now, the temple is finished, and I am on the way to the temple along with Athena, who has disguised herself as a human, and Iris, who volunteered to come. Before we enter the city, Athena changed ourselves into young maidens. Then she led us to the temple and disappeared. We walked into the temple, and told the nearby priestess that we wish to become priestesses as well. She directed us to the back of the temple where there were rooms, which were out of sight. We both entered separate rooms, which were unoccupied, and quickly got changed. Then we went to the high priestess and asked what to do.  
  
~*~  
  
Fifteen years eve since I have first stepped into the temple, and I now been made high-priestess because the former high-priestess was no longer a virgin; as all the priestesses meant to be, she was not; hint, hint Apollo…), and ironically, I have predicted an evil of some sort, that will attack this fair city, but I do not know what. I have left Ephesus to go seek Artemis. As soon as I entered the forest, I changed back into a nymph. I wandered to one of my favourite paths, and sat on a rock and started to look around.  
  
I closed my eyes, breathed some air and it smell like the crisp greenery, with a hint of spiciness. I opened my eyes  
  
And saw trees of all kinds, all shades of green swirled into one picture. I looked up and saw bits of sunlight through the leaves gently swaying in the wind. I hopped to the rock and walked towards the spring inside a cave, which was sacred to Artemis. As I walked, the earth was warm beneath my feet, as if it were alive.  
  
After walking quite a bit, I came across Artemis bathing in the spring, along with a few other nymphs. I addressed her formally,  
  
"Artemis, goddess of moon and hunt, I may have come with news of death and destruction." I said bowing.  
  
The other nymphs looked at me, with a semi-scared look upon their faces.  
  
Artemis also looked at me. She nodded for me to continue.  
  
"Last week, I dreamed that there was a siege in the city of Ephesus. A large army with a legion of soldiers  
  
came and attacked. The citizens ran for their lives through the burning homes and buildings… towards the forest…"  
  
The last three words extracted a few gasps, then an utter silence.  
  
Artemis the spoke up, "Faeth, do you mean, all of the buildings?"  
  
"Yes, including the temple."  
  
"And the people ran towards the forest, our forest."  
  
"Yes, I am afraid so…"  
  
One nymph asked Artemis, "What shall we do, great goddess?"  
  
Artemis answered, "Alert all the inhabitants of the forest. Tell the Hamadryads to take a sapling of their tree and tell them to take it with them. Direct them to the forest near Olympus." She turned to me "I believe I left my silver bow in the temple. I would like you to retrieve it and bring Iris with you." With that she dismissed us.  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
As I re-entered Ephesus, the enemy has already started attacking. I quickly ran through the burning city, to the temple. When I got there, the temple was already engulfed in flames. I carelessly ran into the temple to find Iris; but I saw nothing but fire…then all of a sudden, my arm caught a fire, being a wood nymph, I quickly began to burn up. Then my world went black…  
  
~*~  
  
This is amazing…I am alive. When the fire went out, Artemis found my remains and brought me back to life. She told me that she has not found Iris. I wept at the thought…  
  
~*~  
  
I am in my new home in the forest beside Mount Olympus. I went back to the ruins, but I find no sign of life. I have been doing this for two hundred years.  
  
~*~  
  
At last the people of Ephesus have decided to rebuild the temple and there may be a small chance Iris could be alive, for I have not gone into the rubble. So I have taken part, in both clearing out the rubble, and trying to find Iris. So have brought along other nymphs to take part in this search.  
  
As we searched in the rubble, we found an unusually round rock. We tried to lift it up but it just went back to its place…this was no ordinary stone, it was Iris!  
  
We all started to chant her favourite song to get her attention, and it worked. She slowly turned into a human shape, holding something, then her began to show.  
  
"Hello everyone," Iris said and looked around.  
  
"What?" we all hugged her. She pulled out from behind her the silver bow of Artemis but we did not care, Iris was back.  
  
  
  
THE END 


End file.
